Saturday, April 25, 2015

Meanwhile ...

Posting has been even less frequent than usual as I am spending time in Budapest and discussions revolve round Hungarian politics, that puts our own problems into perspective. I might write about that when I get back to base. In the meantime, the city is as beautiful as ever, the sun shines, the food, wine and coffee are excellent and this evening I am going to a party at a newly opened hotel. On the rooftop, no less.

However, I did manage to pick up this story from Germany: Deputy chair of German anti-euro party resigns. It seems that the AfD is going the way of small parties all over the world: falling out amongst each other as the party does or does not change directions from the original intentions. (Oh dear, now what does that remind me of?)

The deputy chairman of the German eurosceptic party Alternative for Germany (AfD) stepped down Thursday (23 April), officially over the leadership's handling of a scandal with one of its members.

In an interview with a German newspaper however, Hans-Olaf Henkel cited worries that “right-wing ideologues” are taking over the party.

Henkel told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the AfD party leadership should clearly state that it will keep course with its original goals - to dissolve the eurozone and keep Germany an EU member - and not become an anti-immigration party.

If there is no such clarification, “then the AfD will fall. That is my firm conviction”, said Henkel, who is an MEP.

During its two-year history, the young political party has been struggling to define itself.

When Henkel was elected to the European Parliament in May 2014, together with six other party members, there was some internal debate over which political group to join.

Henkel ruled out working together with the UK Independence Party, which wants the UK to leave the EU altogether. The seven AfD MEPs became members of the more mildly eurosceptic centre-right ECR group, which features mainly members of the British and Polish conservative parties.

Obviously, I hope that the AfD, which until now struck me as being reasonably sensible though, perhaps, not thinking far enough, will survive and flourish. It is my view and I have stated it often enough, that the survival of the European Union depends entirely on Germany and her attitude. Once the Germans and their leaders decide that the European project is not the right way forward it will be over though the fall-out is likely to be quite frightening unless we prepare.